Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals

Lifeline - Virgin Records The second Ben Harper record made me think of him as the American Non-Reggae reincarnation of Bob Marley. There was an anthem for the left-handed cigarette and many songs of empowerment, the way that I thought only Marley could pull off, but Harper pulled it all off with style and owned it. Then it seemed to me that he went off into jam band territory for a bit. That is all well and good, but I have a short attention span, and he lost me for a while. Lifeline may be my favorite recording that he has made in a long while. It starts with "Fight Out Of You," where he inspires people to have a backbone and not let "them take the fight out of you." Lifeline is a timeless record that is a bit of a throwback to '60s rock and roll but still timely. Harper can belt 'em like Wilson Pickett or Otis Redding, but to try to put him in an R&B box would be huge mistake. As an artist unwilling to compromise, he has had to scrap to get what he has earned. Thank goodness he has stuck to his guns. Sometimes if you are willing to lead, the people will follow. Ben Harper is a special kind of leader. ¦